File-encrypting ransomware programs are on the rise

File-encrypting ransomware programs are on the rise and companies are increasingly their targets

 

The prevalence of ransomware programs, both those that encrypt data and those that don't, has exploded over the past two years, with companies being increasingly targeted. Based on an analysis by security vendor Kaspersky Lab, more than 2.3 million users encountered ransomware between April 2015 and March, a jump of almost 18 percent over the previous 12 months.

 

The number of users hit by crypto ransomware during the period studied grew 5.5 times to reach more than 700,000, while the number of corporate users in particular who encountered such threats rose from 27,000 to 159,000 -- an almost six-fold increase.

 

Corporate users represented over 13 percent of all ransomware victims between April 2015 to March 2016, nearly double that of the year before.

 

http://www.csoonline.com/article/3088077/security/the-number-of-corporate-users-hit-by-crypto-ransomware-is-skyrocketing.html

 

BENJAMIN ANG

Senior Fellow